Recap: Unforgettable Japan Trip Part 1 - Tokyo Sights

Recap: Unforgettable Japan Trip Part 1 - Tokyo Sights

Japan has always been high on my list of places to see. So this past winter when we were given a three week holiday from school, my husband and I decided to make a trip to Japan. He had studied there in college and wanted to return to revisit some places and friends, as well as to go farther in his travels now that we had the means and travel know-how. I wanted to experience an Eastern culture and indulge in the delicious food!

We spent a total of eleven days (not including the grueling 14 hour flight with a layover in Seoul) in Japan, beginning in Tokyo, traveling down the coast to Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Osaka, and ending in Tokyo. It was easily one of the best trips I've ever taken, second only to our honeymoon around the Mediterranean.

Recap: Ambling Through Amsterdam

Recap: Ambling Through Amsterdam

We just got back from our first trip to Amsterdam, and I feel like I ate my way through the city. I had such a great time trying all the delicious foods (and beers) and getting acquainted with Amsterdam. 

We really like major metropolitan cities, and Amsterdam didn't disappoint. Given the number of immigrants to the city, the population (and food) was much more diverse than Stuttgart. The city is also huge, and rather than having a single downtown area (though it does have an Old Town), there are several neighborhoods or boroughs, each with its own atmosphere. 

Summertime And The Biergartens Are Easy

Summertime And The Biergartens Are Easy

One quintessential German experience that I've come to love is that of sitting outside in a biergarten (literally "beer garden") on a summer's day enjoying a cold beer and chatting with friends, which is just the experience that I had today. Though we were saying goodbye to a friend and coworker who's leaving the school for a new adventure, it was hard to be too sad when we were surrounded by good friends, good food, and good weather.

Open only from about April/May through October, biergartens combine the German love for the outdoors and beer. Most have long, wide picnic tables to accommodate several close friends or acquaintances, as well as a play area for the children, making biergartens a relaxing location for the whole family.

Sunday Brunch at Brauhaus Schönbuch

Sunday Brunch at Brauhaus Schönbuch

Brunch is probably my favorite meal because it combines the best of breakfast and the best of lunch at the right time of day. I also love to try lots of flavors, and so buffets really appeal to me. That's why when Brauhaus Schönbuch advertised a brunch buffet, I decided to give it a shot. 

I've been to Brauhaus Schönbuch several times now. They are conveniently open midday until 1:00 on the weekends and have tons of space for large groups of people. They're also located centrally in the Mitte, but just off a side-street from the busy Königstraße, which means the spacious patio is calmer and quiet than the rest of the downtown area. 

Breakfast at Bäckerei Frank

Breakfast at Bäckerei Frank

One thing I love about living in Germany is the bread. Unlike American Wonder Bread, German bread is baked fresh and comes in a variety of flavors besides "white". In fact, "wheat bread" doesn't exist here, because most of the breads you can buy are a kind of wheat bread, or rather, just bread. In fact, the bread is so fresh that once you slice it, it's really only good for two or three days max until it starts to get stale. I suppose this explains why bread is so cheap, and why it's normal to buy fresh bread every day as you need it. 

Bakeries are a much bigger deal here than in the States, and it's not uncommon to see two or three on the same corner in a city. We do most of our shopping at that the bakery just outside our local grocery store out of convenience, although I'll also stop at one of the two bakeries on the way to work when I need bread or breakfast rolls for school. I find that the quality at these bakeries is fine for the everyday (and still above what we used to get at our grocery store bakery in the States), but when I have the time, I like to go to my favorite bakery in our neighborhood: Bäckerei Frank. 

Our Neighborhood Chinese Restaurant

Our Neighborhood Chinese Restaurant

I remember when we first moved to Germany, we had to completely reorient ourselves to food. Not because of the cuisine so much, but because of the availability. I had to get used to our new German grocery store and reading the labels in German, and there were some recipes that I couldn't make as often because the ingredients weren't as easy to come by.

We also had to find new fast food. Whereas in Virginia we relied on Chinese food, pizza, and fried chicken, we now had kebap shops and bakery sandwiches for takeaway. About the second or third month of living here, we craved our old staples, and that's when we started our quest for good Chinese food. 

 

Grill Your Own Meal at Yakiniku

Grill Your Own Meal at Yakiniku

Last night I had the pleasure of trying out a new restaurant with a group of friends: Yakiniku. This Japanese restaurant in Stuttgart is named after yakiniku, meaning "grilled meat" in Japanese, and generally referring to the Japanese style of barbecuing your dinner at the table. (Although, in Japan they tend to call it Korean barbecue, and, funnily enough, in Korea they call it Japanese barbecue. Go figure.)

I first had yakiniku when Matt and I traveled through Japan this past winter, and I loved it so much that I looked for one in Stuttgart. I honestly wasn't too hopeful that I'd find a yakiniku restaurant in the area, let alone in Stuttgart, and so I was thrilled when I found this restaurant just a 15 minute walk from our house. 

Recap: Beguiling Budapest

Recap: Beguiling Budapest

I'm slightly ashamed to say that Budapest is the farthest east I've been in Europe, but after the school trip I went on in April, I really want to go farther. Budapest was such an amazing mix of gritty, decaying buildings and pre-war splendor. It's not like the cookie-cutter beauty of Prague or the thoroughly rebuilt, puzzle-piece feel of Berlin. Rather, it combines the best bits of both Berlin with Prague in its own, unique way. 

Of course this was a school trip, so my free time was limited. However, I did get to see a number of cool places and ate at a few nice restaurants that I'd like to share. I really did enjoy my time in Budapest, and I hope that I get the chance to return one day so that I can expand my list of recommendations.

A Wine Walk Weekend in Uhlbach

A Wine Walk Weekend in Uhlbach

It's hard to believe that I've lived in Stuttgart for two years, and I've only now just experienced my first Weinwanderung (roughly translated as wine hike or walk). Much like the wine festivals I enjoyed in Virginia, these wine walks combine the Germany's loves for the outdoors and exercise with drinking. So instead of the vineyards coming to you in the traditional American festival sense, you go to the vineyard.

The wine walk that I went on was in Uhlbach, a small village outside of Stuttgart. It began on Saturday when Leo and I met some friends after lunch and took the S1 to Obertürkheim. From there, it was just a short bus ride on line 62 to Uhlbach.

Under the Oak Trees at La Piazza

Under the Oak Trees at La Piazza

There's an Italian restaurant tucked away behind the old Wilhelmspalais in our area. We pass it all the time on our walks with Leo, and it looks lovely, mainly because of the large summer patio with tables set up under a canopy of oak trees. The restaurant is usually packed on warm days for this reason. And since yesterday was one of the first days that the temperature hit 80-degrees, my friend and I decided to try La Piazza for our dinner out. 

We arrived early, around 5pm, to start with a cocktail. At this point in the evening there were only one or two other tables filled, so the patio was largely empty. We were quickly approached by a young waiter and ordered two Hugos from him, who, when he saw Leo with me, started talking about his labrador. Then he made sure to bring Leo his own doggie bowl of water. I love this about Germany, and I tend to like the restaurants that we visit that remember to treat Leo, too.